


Ten Lessons

by Sirca



Series: In Parts of Ten [2]
Category: Borderlands
Genre: Backstory, Character Study, Gen, Platonic Female/Male Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-13
Updated: 2014-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-24 14:29:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1608485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sirca/pseuds/Sirca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Maya's path is both difficult and uncertain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ten Lessons

**10.** A quite mind does not come easily to her, not at such a young age. Maya would much rather race through the gardens until all of her pent up energy could be released. She squeezes her eyes together more tightly and tries to focus on breathing just like she was shown. Soon, the exercise is over and she’s free to do as she pleases.

 **9.** Defense comes first. Her powers were capricious and difficult to control. Plenty of practice dummies had fallen victim to her Siren powers. It’d taken some time to master the art of not setting parts of the Abbey or worse. When she performs her first phaselock on a living target, she’s pure nerves. He hangs serenely in the air, unharmed. Maya lets out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.

 **8.** She begins to develop a curiosity for the things that are beyond the Abbey. Her free time is spent in the library, pouring over historical texts of Athenas. She expands outwards, to the six galaxies. As her knowledge of the outside world grows, her place within it becomes uncertain. Sirens are always absent from the books she reads. When asked, no one can provide her a satisfactory answer. She is a goddess and a leader, and that should be enough. But it isn’t.

 **7.** When Maya leaves the Abbey, she learns of all the things she’d never done before. Buying a ticket off world is more difficult than she first intends. She has all of the skills to do so, but fear keeps everyone at what they believe is a safe distance. It’s nearly two days before a ship captain agrees to take her to Pandora. It takes more to convince him that she won’t kill him.

 **6.** Pandora proves harsh and unsympathetic. She meets others, all looking for something too. They agree to stick together, and Maya assumes the role of leader with ease. She’s looked to for answers, some of which she doesn’t have. Maya makes do as best as she can and they stay alive. Before long, she realizes she’s good at this. She’s proud.

 **5.** Maya doesn’t find the answers she’s looking for. Not even when she meets another Siren. There are only legends, and those change with each embellishment. It’s frustrating, to come so far and yet still know so little about her powers. She has purpose, however. Her cause is better than anything Athenas might have had in store for her. Maya will never stop looking, but she enjoys Vault hunting.

 **4.** Her team works together well. They adapt to one another. A phaselock will be followed by a quick snipe, the turret will provide cover, and bullets and a robot will clear the field. She helps nudge them in the right direction. When she introduces them to the psycho that saved her, though, things get shaky. There’s mistrust in her judgment. Maya knows what’s right, and she knows that there’s more to him than her teammates believe. They’ll adapt, like always.

 **3.** The tide of the war shifts. She discovers more about her enemy, but loses a friend in the process. It’s difficult, not at all like what she’d faced with the loss of Brother Sophis. He’d been cruel and controlling, but the only guiding force in her life until she’d met the people on Pandora. Grief is a difficult emotion, rubbing her raw. She remains strong in the face of adversity.

 **2.** A job goes south. Maya decides how to best care for the injured. She discovers her powers can be used for more than just violence. Knitting together flesh and stopping the flow of blood prove to be a useful skill. With as many injuries as the group sustains, it’s also in high demand. She stills her mind and sets to work after a psycho injures Zer0’s arm. His simple words of praise are some of the best she’s ever heard.

 **1.** Stopping Handsome Jack proves to be the most daunting task that she’s ever undertaken. Hyperion personnel surround her team, their robots aim at them with raised weapons. She’s learned invaluable skills, from both the Abbey and from her friends. She has purpose

And Maya knows that she’ll persevere.

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation of sorts to Ten Targets. I was inspired to do this by a lovely friend, and I might do one for each of the Vault Hunters.


End file.
